This story is very creepy and definitely edge of your seat reading!! Suzette is Hanna's mom and Alex's wife. She was raised with an abusive mom who neglected to get her needed medical care which resulted in years of surgery & suffering. Alex is as supportive of Suzette as he can be but also is a doting father to Hanna. Hanna is a selective mute child who has a strong, somewhat disturbing attachment to her dad & has made it her mission to get rid of Suzette by any means necessary to have Alex all to herself. Her manipulation & aberrant behavior persist till the end. Probably best not to read before bed, especially if you are a parent. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The characters are all unlikable and the narration is very slow and so I could not feel any actual suspense. I read a lot of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels, but this was a miss for me.

Wow, this book really kept me riveted from start to finish. What a fantastic story about a very dysfunctional family. Mom Suzette has health problems, father Alex is a workaholic who seems to cater to daughter Hanna's every whim which causes jealousy between Mom and Hanna. This jealousy leads to all sorts of devious acts by Hanna to try to do away with her mother. There are plenty of twists and turns in this very interesting book.

This novel is the heartwarming story of a mother-daughter bond unlike any other...

Just kidding. I originally requested this book because of the blurb in the PW announcement which compared it to THE BAD SEED:



While I'm a bit of wimp when it comes to horror and thriller as a genre, "bad children" stories have always been a bit of an interest. The original BAD SEED showed a young girl who terrorized classmates, killing one with a pair of tap shoes, all the while cuddling up to Daddy during bedtime stories. Only the mother suspected her bad behavior, which eventually drove her mad. BABY TEETH lives up to the comparison, but luckily takes its own path at this kind of story.

Stage's debut follows Suzette, mother to seven year old Hanna, as she struggles with the increasingly more disturbing behavior. Hanna shows one face to her mother and one to her father, and her choice to not speak makes education and home life very difficult-- meaning that Suzette is homeschooling Hanna as the novel opens and experiencing some troubling moments as her daughter not only begins to talk to her, but also talks about being possessed by a 17th century French witch.

I won't spoil anything here, but Stage builds the suspense well in this book, stacking complications on top of each other like Jenga blocks. I stayed up late more than one evening trying to get through a difficult section. You can almost feel the unsteady sanity of the household start to topple. One really interesting aspect of this book is the physical health of Suzette, whose history with Crohn's is a major component of her character (as well as making up some of background with her own mother.) 

The alternating perspectives of Hanna and Suzette can be jarring, but they are necessary. I found myself actually cringing while reading some of Hanna's sections, but Stage doesn't let the reader look away and keeps the voices separate enough to suspend disbelief. 

If you're looking for a creepy read, make sure you add it to your to-read stack.

Hannah loves her Daddy. But Mommy can be a handful. And Mommy is always getting in the way. So what to do about that? Baby Teeth is a strange, thrilling twist on the mother-daughter dynamic.

Hannah is seven years old and refuses to speak--there is no physical cause to her not vocalizing. She doesn't attend school because she cannot behave. Her mother Suzette is stuck at home with her all day long, as well as dealing with all the complications of her Crohn's Disease. And so Hannah, who desperately wants to spend time with her Daddy, comes up with a number of plans to get rid of Mommy for good.

Like any family, the reader gets multiple sides of the truth from the perspectives of both Hannah and Suzette, with Alex's perspective conveniently left out because he is the quintessential clueless father, wanting to be great at being a dad and a husband, but distancing himself from both just enough to not have to take any of the blame for what goes on when he's not there. When you think you are ready to sympathize with one, you start to question what you believe and begin believing in the motives of the other, even if it's just for a few pages.

If you are at all uncomfortable with creepy children, this book is not for you. But if you can get past the terrifying thoughts of Hannah, you can begin to unravel what may be the real cause of all this upheaval. Even at the end of the book, it's up to the reader as to what led this family that point--is Hannah simply suffering from a controllable mental illness? Is she a psychopath that cannot be treated or trusted? Is she really possessed by the ghost of a centuries-old witch, burned at the stake?

And then you have to consider Suzette--she presents herself as a mother who may not be perfect, but is trying her best to be as good of a mother as she can be to this little girl. However, her Crohn's is draining and at certain points debilitating. Her own mother had no affection for her after the death of her father, to the point where her physical health put her life at risk as a teen. She also at a point questions how good of an idea it was to have a child, knowing that it forever changed her relationship with her husband. And when Hannah's games get dangerous, Suzette uses every ounce of restraint to let Hannah believe she is playing her game and not scared by her.

If you treat Baby Teeth as a mystery to unravel rather than a horror story (which it seems like on the surface), it is a fascinating piece of fiction.

I absolutely loved this book! My first read from the author and definitely won’t be my last. I think I was expecting more of a thriller/adrenaline fuelled read, but whereas this was more steady-going, I still couldn’t put it down. I was instantly drawn in by the characters and loved the different points of view given between the chapters. Will definitely recommend!

This book was super creepy and definitely not for everyone. I would classify more towards psychological horror than suspense. Very well-written but the subject matter of a 7 year old who wants to kill her mother is highly disturbing. I found it hard to believe that a 7 year old could be that devious and evil especially when her interactions with other people were extremely limited. This is the story of Hanna, who has never spoken a word and wants to kill her mother so she can have her father all to herself. The story unfolds in the voices of her mother, Suzette and Hanna in alternating chapters. It is also hard to believe that her parents didn't do more about her lack of speech and that her father was so oblivious to her behavior and the way she treated her mother until the end of the book. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone but those who do read it won't be able to put it down.

I liked it! Baby Teeth is very creepy and unsettling. Kept my guts wrenching in anticipation of what was coming next. I liked the candid thoughts of all the characters and that the author isn't afraid to approach tough subject matter through many different viewpoints.

This book is creepy. Really, really creepy.

I’m a mother of a perfectly normal almost 7 yr old girl. I can not imagine the horror or trauma Suzette went through. I know how creeped out I get when I’m sleeping and I feel someone staring and my daughter is just standing there beside my bed with a weird smile on her face. So I just imagined that a million times magnified. Yea it still probably doesn’t do justice for what she went through. I know it doesn’t for what I felt when I read it.

We alternate POV’s between Suzette (the mother) and Hannah (her 7 yr old daughter). I loved that we were able to see what Hannah thought about her mom and her dad. How her feelings impacted her actions and consequences. The same for Suzette too. She’s not innocent in this and I sometimes wondered if she made Hannah the way she was.

I think what made it even more disturbing was being in the mind of a 7 yr old with ill intentions. It’s different and made for an interesting read. I tried to take breaks because it was so intense but I couldn’t. My mind kept wandering what was going to happen next. I was a junkie looking for my next fix.

I really don’t know how I felt about Suzette. I was torn between liking her at times and hating her. I felt compassion for her because I understood the ugliness of depression. What that can do to your mind and also the insecurities. That doesn’t excuse her behavior.

I was the same about Hannah. The mother side of me wanted to cry for her. To hug her and show her what it’s like to be a kid. Let her have a messy room if she wanted. The cautioned side of me wanted to lock her up. That side didn’t like her and knew that evil existed in a tiny little girl that may look innocent and sweet but is anything but.

Zoje Stage is an author to look out for. The research that was put into this book was remarkable. The writing was flawless and the storyline flowed with ease. The only thing I was disappointed in was the last portion of the book. The decisions and ending.

Baby Teeth is anything but a normal book about a normal family. It’s dark, disturbing, creepy and brings forth real issues that some families go through even to this day. It’s a highly addicting read!

A book of horrors. I was delighted all throughout the book, by the author's writing and the book's content. I love horror, and this was nothing short of what I was expecting, genre-wise especially.

Debut novel, Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage is a disturbing study in family dynamics when faced with an unpredictable mental illness.

Suzette is a chronically ill mother doing her best to raise her mute, but brilliant, seven year old daughter Hanna. With the face of an angel, no one but Suzette realizes how disturbing Hanna’s behavior can truly become. Not even the schools she’s been expelled from, or even the other children she’s hurt. Especially not Hanna’s clueless father Alex, who explains away every incident Hanna has been responsible for.

But as Hanna’s calculated tricks get more treacherous and Suzette’s sanity slips day by day, will Alex finally realize there’s something seriously wrong with Hanna, before it’s too late?

What I really liked about this novel is how the author juggles all the emotions of every family member who is struggling in this bad situation. The reader slips in and out of sympathy for everyone involved, even as you fear that Hanna’s behavior will turn deadly before her parents will be able to find a diagnosis and treatment for Hanna. You slip in and out of fear, empathy, and anger at Suzette’s obvious frustration, missteps, and guilt. You long for her to assert herself more where her daughter and husband are concerned and also let go of guilt over a situation she has very little control over. You want to shake the rose colored glasses from Alex’s face, hoping he’ll see the problems sooner. And you long to hug and kiss Hanna until you realize just how profoundly messed up the child really is. The author was able to, despite everything, cause you to sympathize with Hanna’s point of view.

I was truly creeped out by the whole tale while at the same time rooting for a happy solution for everyone involved. The writing style of personal third-person points-of-view was very effective and lent a broader view of events than dueling first-person view points, that at times leave me feeling like I might be missing some aspect you can’t get when the story is only being told from one person’s standpoint. While not a fan of stories in this genre, I thought this was masterfully done, keeping the story both scary but very human and relatable.

This book was pretty bonkers. Sorry to use a cliche, but “as a mother” I found it incredibly unnerving. I raced through it; it was very easy to read, and compelling.

Not the type of book I usually read, but enjoyable. You can feel the furstration the mother has, and you can't wait for her to be vindicated.
Would read this author again

Wow, how do I begin to review Baby Teeth ?! I really don't even know where to begin. The story centers around the Jensen (pronounced Yensen), a family of artists living in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The hip Jensen family consists of architect Alex, former interior designer and now stay-at-home mother Suzette, and their 7 year old daughter Hanna. This nuclear family is not the American dream you may suspect when first meeting them. Hanna, although a lovingly sweet child, is mute and only shows her dynamic and loving personality with her father. Hanna is constantly battling with her mother while Alex is at work, leaving Hanna frustrated and vengeful towards her. While Alex is away, Hanna expresses a sincere hatred for her mother and will stop at nothing to prevent her from ruining the perfect life she sees with her father. Mommy is in the way and Hanna will stop at nothing to destroy her.

Well first things first ladies and gentlemen, Baby Teeth has successfully scared me away from pursuing parenthood for the time being. #ByeFelicia Like for real though, I'm scared of them now. Do I need to get garlic and silver crosses to protect myself now or what?! Seriously though, Baby Teeth is one dark, sinister, and deviously gripping story that not only focuses on family dynamics, but the ignorance being society's perception of mental illness. More and more books are starting to showcase mental illness and that's very important—especially in the family setting. I've seen people compare Baby Teeth to The Omen, but one reason why I will try to not compare the two is that this story does not contain a supernatural plot. This story highlights the family dynamic in such a contemporary, realistic way, that by comparing this to the typical horror genre just doesn't feel right. Baby Teeth is a story in it's own lane and should be treated as such.

I really enjoyed Zoje Stage's ability to show contrast between the points-of-view of Suzette and Hanna because they are vastly different, yet utterly relatable. Suzette's POV definitely is one of a loving, yet strong-willed mother who wants the best for her family, yet also wants to protect herself. Stage's ability to showcase a very intelligent, yet sickeningly wicked 7 year old's perspective is expertly highlighted here. The story is realistic—yet, scary as F! A solid debut novel and an original story derived from a common theme in the thriller/horror genre, Baby Teeth delivers. I'm excited to see what's next for Ms. Zoje Stage.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a dark book. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole read, often afraid to turn the page, afraid of what terrible thing might be about to happen. It's more that, though, that kept me hooked—it was the way the author skillfully twisted the reader's sympathies, and the tension in the complicated family dynamic. Definitely unsettling.

WOW! I did not know how this book would end. Was she possessed by a demon or does she have mental illness? So good and so different. You don’t usually read thrillers from mother and daughter prepective.

This book was one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read! It’s very well written with well drawn characters. Hanna is a seven year old who wants her mother dead so that she can have her father all to herself. Suzette has become afraid of her daughter and struggles with whether her parenting has somehow contributed to Hanna’s escalating violent behavior. The father, Alex, is pretty oblivious to his daughter’s attitude toward her mother and doesn’t really believe that she’s capable of the behavior described. I honestly had a hard time with the subject matter but kept reading because I wanted to find out what was going to happen. Did I enjoy the book? Not really! Did it hold my interest? Absolutely! Would I recommend the book? I’m not sure. It’s certainly not a book for the faint of heart. The subject matter is very disturbing and the book should probably come with a warning label.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was spooky! It was an intense read feeling a mother's love and fear of her own child.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Zoje Stage, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

In her debut novel, Zoje Stage has made quite a name for herself. Exploring some dark and disturbing areas of the parent-child relationship, the reader is forced to see a seemingly calm little girl turn against her own mother. Hanna Jensen appears to be quite the average four-year-old girl, with one glaring exception; she does not speak and never has. Countless tests and examinations have left her parents, Alex and Suzette, baffled, as there is nothing physical wrong with her. With her muteness comes the added issue that she is unable to acclimate into any scholastic situation, leaving Suzette to homeschool Hanna. While there is no verbal communication, Hanna’s comprehension and written word is advanced for her young age. What no one has been able to see is that Hanna has another side, a darker side that is focussed on tearing Suzette down in a well-planned manner. Hanna internalises her struggle, but is happy to show her mother an evil side and purposely sabotage any progress that is being made. What begins as simple defecating on the floor turns to barking and, eventually, full-on violence in a school setting. While Suzette tries to come to terms with this, Alex is oblivious and sees only the princess-like girl that Hanna presents on a nightly basis. After Hanna tips her hand and shows off an alter-ego, Suzette is no longer prepared to go at this alone, but Alex remains uncertain that Hanna is to blame for anything. Hanna sets out her own plan to get rid of Suzette once and for all, allowing her to have Alex’s attention forevermore. While Suzette knows it is coming, she is helpless to slay the monster before her, seeing it has taken the form of sweet Hanna Jensen. Stage weaves together quite the disturbing tale here, pitting parental instinct against base survival. Fans who enjoy a diluted psychological thriller may enjoy this one, as its presentation has rounded edges and light spine tingles.

When this novel was recommended to me by a friend, I wanted to give it my full attention, not only because of its subject matter, but also because it would fit perfectly into a reading challenge requirement. It would seem that Stage has found herself with a great deal of Goodreads activity where reviews continue to grow on both sides of the fence. I can see where both the five- and one-star folks are coming from, having been able to situate myself somewhere in the middle. The characters found herein are perfectly crafted and complement one another so well. Hanna is that young child who has a love of her father and inherent dislike of her mother, partially because there is a need to share, but also due to the fact that Suzette is her primary caregiver. Hanna manifests her dislike from disobedience through to full plotting of injury and death of the woman who has nothing but confused love for her. As the story progresses, Hanna’s character turns darker, especially with the revelation of an alter-ego, though things always bounce back when Alex is in the room, which only perpetuates the tug-of-war between the parental units. Suzette, on the other hand, is a woman who has suffered much medical and emotional turmoil in her life and has had to wrestle with a mother of her own who could not care about her. Suzette seeks to be a better mother and person, but Hanna seems to bring out the worst and they battle regularly. While Suzette may seem the paranoid one, her significant time and experiences with Hanna fuels this push to have her daughter examined by professionals, while Alex seeks to protect his offspring. Many of the secondary characters work well here, especially in peeling back the onion and seeing just how destructive Hanna can be, even if her father refuses to see it. The story itself is well-done, choosing to alternate chapters from the perspective of Hanna and Suzette. One could see where things were going, but it was a matter of how swiftly they would get there and how outlandish things could get by the end. Where I struggled with this novel was the intensity level. True, not all books have to have “psychopathic serial killers” to be successful, but I felt Stage wanted to unveil the truly demonic side of Hanna on a regular basis, but diluted it for reasons unknown. I wanted to be shocked and feel Suzette’s pain, but it almost seemed as though some of the narrative chose to gloss over things, lessening the impact. Still, for a debut novel, Stage kept me curious, especially with the ongoing symbolism that the attentive reader will gather as they forge ahead in this piece. Well constructed and I would surely give Zoje Stage another try, hoping that she and her publisher take some of the criticisms that are coming out, to heart.

Kudos, Madam Stage, for this very interesting debut. I can see much potential within the genre and hope you’ll keep writing. Your fan base is sure to grow exponentially, especially with all the popularity this book is receiving online.

Hanna trying to rattle her mom’s cage and she’s doing a great job at it. Call me twisted by I was enjoying the ways that Hanna was tormenting her mother. Not that I, myself would want to be a victim of Hanna’s but Hanna was a crafty individual and she would stop at nothing to get a reaction from her mother. To her father, Hanna was an innocent child and it wasn’t until later in the novel when Hanna was seen by outsiders that her father, finally saw Hanna for who she truly was.

I couldn’t believe that Hanna was only a seven-year old child. The way that her mind worked and by her actions, she seemed to be much older. She seems way too shrewd, devious, and intellectual to be a seven-year old.

Hat’s off to Hanna’s mother for everything she did for Hanna even though her daughter made her life so miserable. Even when her mother tries to lock herself in the bathroom for private time, Hanna can’t leave her alone. When mother tries to enroll Hanna in the public-school system, Hanna’s behavior had me laughing and in shock. It had finally happened! Her mother had found other individuals who could back her up. Their reactions to what Hanna did was an added bonus. I thought the ending of this novel was brilliant, it really fit Hanna personality and the novel perfectly.

I’m giving this novel a 4 based on Hanna’s intelligence of a 3 and the storyline and tension within the novel of a 4.5.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
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